The Gastrointestinal Epithelium Modeling (GEM) Program is a collaborative research effort designed to accelerate discovery and innovation using patient-derived organoids (PDO). PDOs are tissue samples taken from patients during biopsies or surgical procedures that are then grown and matured in a lab. The PDOs serve as models to help scientists understand how a specific patient may respond to specific drug treatments.

The GEM Program supports bi-directional research that includes learnings from the lab and at the bedside to develop new therapies for pediatric gastrointestinal diseases such as eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Hirschsprung disease and celiac disease.